DSLR Sales Surging Despite Onslaught from Camera Phones

Over the last year or so, as camera phones and “phoneography” have taken off, many have feared and/or expected the death of the digital camera. In many ways this fear has come to fruition — point-and-shoot cameras are becoming a thing of the past — but for another segment of the market, the advent of the camera phone has benefitted companies and consumers alike.

According to a recent Reuters article sales of digital cameras (and particularly DSLRs) have actually increased; Japan shipped close to three times more cameras in January of this year that it did 9 years ago. The difference is in the types of cameras that people are buying. There’s no denying that smartphones have taken over the “capturing of everyday moments” section of the market: if you want to snap a photo of your dog doing something funny you’re probably going to pull out your phone and add an Instagram filter to boot. But the moments we consider most precious in life we still capture using high-end, high-quality equipment.

This is why DSLR sales are doing well, why mirrorless cameras are exploding onto the scene and why the average price for a DSLR has dropped so significantly. Of course, to get a 5D Mark III you’ll have to pony up some serious green, but the soccer mom who wants to capture her family over the next several years won’t be doing it with an iPhone or a point-and-shoot, she’ll be doing it with an entry-level SLR  from a brand she trusts.

The idea that photography as an industry is dying is losing ground; we as the consumers have simply been given more choices. And when it comes to capturing the moments that matter, or at least the ones we have time to plan for, the statistics have us reaching for more expensive, higher-quality cameras that will get the job done right.

Image credit: Nokia exec says cameraphones in future will make DSLR’s obsolete by mackarus